Tag / le alfre review

by Beau H.

The Thursday Buy: This Le Alfre Shirt is a Refined Seasonal Buttondown for Any Occasion

It’s always helpful to have a rotation of style essentials you can reach for at any given moment, almost with your eyes closed. I’m talking about the sort of picks, like one of the best men’s buttondown shirts, that take an outfit from good to great.

I’ve found this to be true whether pairing said shirt with expertly faded jeans and leather chukka boots or dark tan stretch chinos and black Chelsea boots. The right buttondown shirt, like the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt shown above, certainly qualifies, particularly in business casual style situations — or for holiday occasions on the horizon.

Learn more now at Le Alfre

The brand specializes in elevated yet accessible buttondown shirts, mostly of the classic Oxford shirt variety and this time done up in a fall-friendly hue. Yes indeed, the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt is an autumnal take on the upstart NYC brand’s roster of crisply cut, well-made men’s shirts.

You might even go so far as to call it a new secret weapon in your wardrobe of men’s fall style essentials.

Perhaps you’re familiar with Le Alfre flannel shirts from my Le Alfre men’s shirting review earlier this year, but the new Le Alfre Tartan Shirt takes a slightly similar and yet different approach to the tried-and-true men’s buttondown shirt.

An English Tartan pattern in a suitably autumnal shade shines through when worn the right way (with blue jeans and burnished brown leather lace-up boots, for instance).

And it’s the lightweight custom fabric that gives the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt even more versatility — it can be worn on its own untucked or tucked in beneath a wool blazer without causing you to overheat, for example. And that same lightweight fabric gives the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt the ability to pair up with a thick-knit fisherman sweater or shawl cardigan, another ultra-classic seasonal move.

Shop men’s shirts now at Le Alfre

100 percent Portuguese cotton and best-in-class construction make the handsome, slightly rugged-yet-refined Le Alfre Tartan Shirt worth its $175 price tag, especially with plenty of seasonal fun on the way. Let me know in the comments below how you’d wear yours.

by Beau H.

The Thursday Buy: This Le Alfre Flannel Shirt is a Refined Take on a Classic

Best flannel shirt for men.

At least in my neck of the woods (the frigid winter confines of Brooklyn, that is), I value reliability, warmth, comfort and style — especially when it comes to the best flannel shirts on the market. But in the doldrums of winter, it can prove tricky, at times, mix up your style rotation consistently.

And yet all the while, you still want to retain that critical balance of warmth, style, comfort… you name it. And that’s where Le Alfre arrives to save the day in matters of menswear.

Shop men’s shirts now at Le Alfre

The young New York City brand already makes one of the best Oxford shirts on the market, using high-quality fabric and production via a family-owned factory in Portugal, one that makes some of the finest shirts on the planet. And the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel builds on that pedigree in a distinct way, one that’s a nice change of pace from other classic flannel shirts on the market.

Le Alfre men's shirts.

Le Alfre took the classic “banker’s shirt,” with a contrasting collar and cuffs, and put a fun, fresh spin on the look — turning it from a dress shirt into one you can even rock untucked with chinos or perhaps with a rugged shawl cardigan. And the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel fits the bill nicely in terms of eye-catching style. It comes from the company’s partners at Portugal’s oldest shirting mill, and it’s handmade by the country’s oldest shirtmaker, and things only get better from there.

Learn more now at Le Alfre

The Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel boasts a lightweight, super-soft handfeel that should prove comfortable on its own, yet well-suited to layering over one of the best men’s henleys, for instance. And because the style is modeled after timeless Oxford shirts, it’s got a more refined look and feel than flannel workshirts, for instance.

Taken altogether, it’s an updated take on the flannel shirt that works as well with dark blue jeans as with your favorite chinos. And for winter style with variety in mind, you can’t quite top the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel, my friends.

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Le Alfre Classic White Oxford Shirt – A New Wardrobe Staple

In my experience, you’d be surprised how often a menswear selection that seems suited simply for one situation is actually well-suited for, well, several. Take one of the best men’s Oxford shirts, for instance. This classic shirt has preppy roots in more modern times, and was even named for the Oxford cloth used to make the original shirts Scotland years ago.

Combined with its buttondown collar and crisp color options — often in white or light blue — the Oxford shirt was a tried-and-true style staple for plenty of business casual and dressed-up situations (aside from black tie affairs). Here’s where today’s Style Pick of the Week swerves ever so slightly.

Satchel and Page

You see, the best Oxford shirt for men these days has a touch more flash in terms of style potential: It can be dressed up with a classic navy blazer like days gone by, but the right shirt can also be worn in ways that are casually cool, and that’s what leads me to the Le Alfre Le Blanc White Oxford Shirt.

It all starts with the vision of the brand and founder Brandon Snower, who wanted to revamp the traditional buttondown shirt for the modern man.

Consider that aim achieved, as I’ve found that NYC-based Le Alfre makes some of the best Oxford shirts under $100. And while its classic shirts have a contrasting white “banker” collar, the Le Alfre Le Blanc White Oxford Shirt goes all in on a more monochromatic take.

This style, made in Portugal from 100 percent soft Portuguese Oxford cotton, boasts timeless details like a buttondown collar, plus premium touches like Mother of Pearl buttons. Double-button rounded cuffs are also a more casual touch (unlike square cuffs found on some traditional dress shirts), and the Le Alfre Le Blanc White Oxford Shirt is made by Portugal’s oldest shirtmaker, to boot.

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As Le Alfre says, “simple is always classy,” and this shirt just works (and works). If I were you, I’d wear it untucked with dark blue jeans and handsome brown leather lace-up boots for high-low, casual style, and I’d team it with tobacco chinos and tan leather loafers (plus a navy blazer) at the office or for evening cocktails. Rethink what you thought you knew about the Oxford shirt, and start dressing accordingly this season.